__________________It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. - A. Bartlett Giamatti

Sure seems like a lot of teams are content with going the route of a defensive catcher who 'gets by' at the plate over other alternatives (like AJ). AJ lacked that defensive stability and hasn't broken a .333 OBP since 2003. Those things probably hurt him and may have kept him from getting a long-term deal. After all, if the power numbers drop (and they normally do with age), what's left?

It also appears to me that Hahn values certain things a little more than KW did, and that's probably OK. I certainly don't think Flowers is the answer, but if he can post anywhere near his career minor league .391 OBP and .876 OPS with regular playing time, we'll be OK.

AJ will be missed and I appreciate everything he helped bring us, but I can't really get on Hahn for this one.

This really pisses me off, I figured AJ was going to get PAID this offseason and it would have made sense for the Sox to let him walk. The idea of giving a mid-30s catcher with the kind of miles AJ has on the odometer a fat 3-year deal didn't appeal to me so if that's what he got, I would have been OK with this. But 1-year, $7 M? The Sox couldn't have figured out a way too come up with that? What a crock of ****.

Absolutely agree. Sure, Pierzynski is a sentimental favorite, but he was also a hell of a ballplayer with his savvy and hustle. I don't get how the Sox couldn't make a one-year deal attractive enough to get Pierzynski to stay.

Hahn obviously wants Flowers in that slot so he must think that a higher caught-stealing percentage trumps everything else. A.J. had everything else.

Quote:

Originally Posted by palehosepub

Rangers only visit Sox once next year Aug 23-25. Fans will have to wait a while for an AJ reunion at the Cell!

We've got tickets to the August 24 game. He'll get a nice round of applause from me. Thanks for the good times, A.J.

This really pisses me off, I figured AJ was going to get PAID this offseason and it would have made sense for the Sox to let him walk. The idea of giving a mid-30s catcher with the kind of miles AJ has on the odometer a fat 3-year deal didn't appeal to me so if that's what he got, I would have been OK with this. But 1-year, $7 M? The Sox couldn't have figured out a way too come up with that? What a crock of ****.

Hopes he returns to the team in some capacity someday, perhaps as a broadcaster or coach.

I couldn't agree more with either of you.

What annoys the hell out of me regarding this is that now we have to look forward to an extra 150 strikeouts in our lineup. Sure, Flowers will probably pop 15-20 home runs next season, but he's not exactly what you would call clutch and will probably bat around .215 or .220. Blah!!!

We're down to one player left from '05 - Konerko. With 2013 being the last year of his deal, and with him turning 37 this March, it could be Paulie's last go-around with the Sox (or in baseball).

The fact that they would offer one a mere $4m to one of this era's most reliable catchers, coming off of his best offensive season, after eight seasons of service is pretty sad. There must be something else there.

This is exactly what I think.

It has to do with the clubhouse IMO.

Maybe Coop had some say, who knows.

Maybe Peavy made it a condition for his return, who knows.

But it's not about the money here, the Sox easily would have taken AJ for that contract.

There's way more to this than the Sox just being cheap as more than likely the media /(dumb) fans will portray this.

All things come to an end. Still, I hate to see him go. I also hate to see one of our left handed hitters go. Other than DeAza and Dunn every hitter in our starting lineup is a right handed hitter. I would like to think Hahn is still going to make a couple of trades before Opening Day to improve the offense. If not we'll be facing all right handed pitchers the entire season.

There's way more to this than the Sox just being cheap as more than likely the media /(dumb) fans will portray this.

I'd agree with you except the Sox offered him a pathetically cheap contract and then got outbid by a couple million bucks. If you want to move on, then just move on. If you don't want to be perceived as cheap, don't offer cheap ass contracts and then DEFINITELY don't get outbid for peanuts.

I'd agree with you except the Sox offered him a pathetically cheap contract and then got outbid by a couple million bucks. If you want to move on, then just move on. If you don't want to be perceived as cheap, don't offer cheap ass contracts and then DEFINITELY don't get outbid for peanuts.

Amen. I hope Flowers develops. But for 1-year and $7.5 mil. I would have taken him back in a heartbeat.

Maybe we can bring him back as a backup next year. Always nice to have a LH catcher bat.

I'd agree with you except the Sox offered him a pathetically cheap contract and then got outbid by a couple million bucks. If you want to move on, then just move on. If you don't want to be perceived as cheap, don't offer cheap ass contracts and then DEFINITELY don't get outbid for peanuts.